Our weekly Issues List is cluttered with vague, complaining statements that do not have a clear owner or a specific problem to solve. How do we screen out these phantom issues before they waste our valuable IDS time?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A cluttered Issues List full of vague complaints is a major source of meeting waste. These phantom issues often look like communication is bad or morale is low. They lack a clear owner, a specific root cause, and a concrete desired outcome, which leads to circular discussions that resolve nothing. To eliminate this waste, enforce a strict rule for adding items to the Issues List. Every issue must have a single owner who is responsible for bringing it to the table. When the meeting reaches the IDS portion, the facilitator must immediately ask the owner of that issue two questions. First, what is the specific, real-world problem we are trying to solve? Second, what does a successful resolution look like? If the owner cannot answer these questions clearly and concisely, the issue is not ready for the table. Strike it from the list and assign a To-Do for that leader to clarify the issue before the next meeting. This forces your leadership team to think critically before bringing problems to the group. It teaches them to take ownership and come prepared with context, rather than using the Level 10 Meeting as a dumping ground for general frustrations. This discipline keeps your weekly pulse sharp and efficient.